Field of the Disclosure
Examples of the present disclosure are related to a pharmaceutical waste container and lid. More particularly, embodiments relate to a reusable pharmaceutical waste container, restrictive lid, and flywheel, wherein the restrictive lid and flywheel restrict, limit, and/or inhibit needles/sharps from being disposed in the pharmaceutical waste container.
Background
Pharmaceutical waste is waste produced from healthcare premises or personnel, such as hospitals, clinics, doctors, nurses, offices, veterinary hospitals, labs, etc. For example, pharmaceutical waste may include pills, patches, ampules vials, sharps, etc. Disposal of pharmaceutical waste is an environmental concern due to the increased findings of drugs and pharmaceuticals in our nation's drinking water, and for other reasons.
Currently, pharmaceutical waste is disposed in conventional pharmaceutical waste containers that are centrally located in secure areas in healthcare premises that only pharmaceutical practitioners and staff may access.
However, the pharmaceutical practitioners may be required to spend time and effort transporting the pharmaceutical waste to the centrally located conventional pharmaceutical waste containers. Situations may arise where due to sanitization hazards and concerns, the pharmaceutical practitioners may not be able to transport the pharmaceutical waste to the pharmaceutical waste containers located in a secure area.
Conventional waste containers may also be reusable pharmaceutical waste containers. The reusable pharmaceutical waste containers are required to be collected by a third party vendor at the healthcare premise, brought to a sanitization facility, and returned to the healthcare premise to receive pharmaceutical waste. However, reusable pharmaceutical waste containers require the waste container to be collected by the third party vendor and sanitized at a remote location. This process is neither time nor finance efficient.
Additionally, the current reusable pharmaceutical waste containers are actually sharps (needles) waste containers but are made to be a different color. Because these containers look like sharps containers and the lid opening allow sharps to be placed in them, pharmaceutical practitioners will inevitably dispose needles into these reusable pharmaceutical containers. This process has negative impacts from both a regulatory and finance standpoint.
Accordingly, needs exists for more efficient and effective pharmaceutical waste containers.